Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. The U.S. spends more on medical services than any other country, but we get less for it. Major reasons include lack of universal access, unequal treatment, and underinvestment in public health and social welfare. We will critically examine the economics, politics and sociology of health and illness in the U.S. and the world.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

If you get your info from the corporate media . . .

you probably know that George Zimmerman has undergone his monthly arrest. Maria Bartiromo is moving to Fox (why even have to pretend to be a journalist?). Virginia State Senator Creigh Deed was stabbed, Rob Ford clotheslined a 5 foot tall Toronto City Councilor. Obamacare is a Trainwreck! It's a disaster! We're all going to die! (If you read some liberal blogs you will also learn that in fact, more and more people are signing up for it and, just like Cervantes told you, they're getting the web site fixed and come January 1, it will be a fait acompli. Nonetheless, it is true that we are all going to die.)

What you probably don't know is that right now, as I write this, and has been true for the past week, the Annual Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been happening in Warsaw. You might think it's kind of important, I suppose, but as far as CNN, ABC, and CBS are concerned, it's a secret. That's why I've had to refer you to Climate Progress, which is kind of like Wikileaks, I guess, in that they tell you stuff Americans aren't supposed to know.

There are important issues under discussion in Warsaw. No, it's not going to result in an international agreement to save civilization and, in addition, Miami Beach. It is, however, intended to set up for an agreement to be signed in 2015. Many important issues are under discussion including raising $100 billion, which used to be a lot of money; issues of justice and reparation for damage caused by climate change (and that's very deep stuff); and how the responsibilities for reducing carbon emissions and mitigating harm are to be distributed among the nations that were industrialized early, and those that are less developed.

These are difficult questions. The U.S., as the largest source of carbon emissions to date, is obviously very much affected by them. As perplexing and divisive as it may be for us to work through these problems, it is essential for Americans to be engaged in them. The U.S. must be a constructive participant in these talks, and actively engage in the plans and goals that result, if all this talk about what Social Security and Medicare will be like in 2050 even to matter. But we aren't. It isn't even on the front page of the CNN web site. Although Jonathan Edwards' new law practice is. Along with the question of whether a Kmart ad is too "racy" and the story of a 400 pound high school football player. At least we know what's important.